You just really can’t seem to slowNetflixdown. New month? Well that means there’s a whole heap of new content for you to watch, whether you’re looking for a binge-watch-worthy show for the whole family, or something a little spicier for after the kids go to bed. Either way, we’ve got you covered with our picks for the 11 best new shows on Netflix in May, from returning favorites to breakout hits in the making.
So what’s on the docket this month? May bringsRyan Murphy’s latest glamp series, the alt-historyHollywood, the Belgian apocalypse thrillerInto theNight,and theDamien Chazzelleproduced and co-directed seriesThe Eddy, which is about – you guessed it – jazz. Oh andSteve Carellis re-teaming with hisThe OfficebossGreg Danielsfor a new workplace comedy,SpaceForce.In the realm of returning favorites, there’s Season 2 of the animated adventureThe Hollow, Season 2 of the dark and twisty thrillerDead toMe,
Check out what’s ahead for all those and the rest of our picks for what to watch on Netflix this month below, and for more, you can seeall the new movies and TV shows on Netflix in May 2020 right here.
Never Have I Ever
Available:April 27
Creators:Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher
Cast:Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Darren Barnet, Ramona Young, Lee Rodriguez, Richa Moorjani, Poorna Jagannathan, Jaren Lewison, John McEnroe, Niecy Nash, Sendhil Ramamurthy
OK, yes, technicallyNever Have I Everdebuted in April, but the wildfire word of mouth didn’t really spark until May kicked off. And just to be safe, we want to make sure you don’t miss this delightful new coming-of-age comedy series. Co-created byMindy Kalingand Lang Fisher, the half-hour comedy centers on Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), a fifteen-year-old high school student struggling to cope with the tragic death of her father, her burgeoning sexuality, and learning to be a good friend. That sounds like a lot of familiar coming-of-age stories, butNever Have I Everpresents it all through a unique and hilarious lens, integrating Devi’s family and culture without commodifying it and making you fall for a cast of characters who instantly feel like family. Devi herself is a compelling and powerful lead, but she’s surrounded by an ensemble of scene-stealers, from her powerful mother to her nerdy BFFs, and of course, the internet’s newly crowned boyfriend Paxton Hall-Yoshida. It’s a perfect binge-watch, equal parts joyful and soulful, embracing candor in its approach to trauma but wrapping up hope and good humor along with it.
Available:May 1
Creators:Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan
Cast:David Corenswet, Darren Criss, Laura Harrier, Joe Mantello, Dylan McDermott, Jake Picking, Jeremy Pope, Holland Taylor, Samara Weaving, Jim Parsons, Patti LuPone
The latest binge-worthy product to emerge fromRyan Murphy’s Netflix deal,Hollywoodreimagines the Golden Age as a more diverse and inclusive era. The rare alt-history that opts to veer optimistic (seeMan in the High CastleorThe Plot Against Americafor the more common alternative),Hollywoodoffers a revisionist fantasy of what might have been, had Hollywood’s Golden Era dared to be a bit more inclusive. Murphy’s newest show has proved divisive in its first days since it was released, with some celebrating it as a powerfully optimistic piece of wish-fulfillment and some have understandably called into question the way Murphy’sfairytale undermines the real people behind Hollywood’s hard-won real-world progress. Wherever you fall on it,Hollywoodoffers up a decadent, bingeable drama with all the Murphy hallmarks; salacious drama, glamp fashion, and a knockout ensemble.
Into the Night
Creator:Jason George
Cast:Jan Bijvoet, Nabil Mallat, Pauline Etienne, Laurent Capelluto, Stéfano Cassetti, Astrid Whettnall, Vincent Londez, Regina Bikkinina, Alba Gaïa Bellugi, Babetida Sadjo, Mehmet Kurtulus, Ksawery Szlenkier, Chris TDL
Need a new sci-fi thriller to keep the blood pumping?Into the Night(not to be confused with Hulu’s horror anthologyInto the Darkor The CW’s blind detective dramaIn the Dark) charts a course towards darkness in an apocalyptic drama where the sun suddenly becomes a scorching death sentence for everything it touches. The first original Belgian Netflix series,Into the Nightwastes no time, picking up at the airport check-in counter, where we meet our main characters and follow them onto what should be a quick flight to Russia. But when an armed man bursts into the flight before takeoff and demands that they fly west, the passengers quickly realize they’re in a race against the sun itself, with only the plane, their wits, and their fellow passengers to get them through. Speaking of which, if you’ve ever flown, you know your fellow passengers can be a mixed bag, to put it politely, so imagine getting caught with them in the apocalypse. It’s thrilling, pulpy, compulsive watching and with just six 40-minute-or-less episodes, it’s a heck of an international jaunt through a high-concept end of the world.
Available:May 8
Creator:Liz Feldman
Cast:Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini, James Marsden, Max Jenkins, Sam McCarthy
Netflix’s deliciously dark comedy returns for a second season this month, so hold on to your self-help rituals. The first season of the series focused onChristina Applegate’s Jen Harding, a real estate agent who lost her husband in a hit and run accident, funneling all her grief into therapy, workouts – the whole lot of it. Until Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini) shows up in her grief therapy, harboring deep secrets of her own. That’s the non-spoiler version in case you haven’t watched, and you’re gonna want to because Applegate and Cardellini have a sharp, snappy comedic chemistry, bolstered by the twisty-turny, melodramatic story developments. Created byLiz Feldmanand executive produced byWill FerrellandAdam McKay,Dead to Melives up to its comedy credentials while honing in on the bond between its two leads, and it’s a darn good binge-watch unlike anything else out there.
Creator:Jack Thorne
Cast:André Holland, Joanna Kulig, Amandla Stenberg, Tahar Rahim
Jazz, man.Jazz. If there’s one thingDamien Chazelleloves more than stark character dramas, it’s jazz. TheWhiplashandLa La Landfilmmaker, who studied as a jazz drummer before he went on to use that experience as the inspiration for his 2014 Oscar-winning drama, returns to his beloved with Netflix’sThe Eddy.André Hollandstars as a once-renown pianist who now co-owns a jazz club in Paris, The Eddy. When his troubled daughter (Amandla Stenberg) shows up, things get more complicated and that’s before the Russian mafia and Paris police get involved. It’s worth noting that, despite the branding,The Eddyisn’tquitea Damien Chazells show – it was created by Jack Thorne, with Chazelle directing the first two episodes and executive producing. But if you’re lookin’ for that sweet, sweet hit of nerdy jazz love, you’ll probably enjoyThe Eddy’s artsy, slow-jam drama.
The Hollow Season 2
Creators:Josh Mepham, Kathy Antonsen Rocchio, Greg Sullivan, Vito Viscomi
Cast:Adrian Petriw, Ashleigh Ball, Connor Parnall, Diana Kaarina, Alex Barima, Jesse Moss
Netflix’s animated teen adventureThe Hollowreturns for Season 2 in May, and if you’re gonna listen to anyone around here about animation, it should be Collider’s resident expert Dave Trumbore. Inhis Season 2 review, he made the bold claim thatThe Hollowis “arguably the most underrated series for kids on TV,” and if that isn’t enough for ya, he also says the series levels up this time around, and all the “action-packed intrigue and focus on character relationships continues in Season 2.” If ya missed the first season,The Hollowfollows a group of teenagers who wake up in a mysterious realm and have to work together to find a way home through the portals, forests, and beastly creatures that await. So if you’re looking for something to watch with the whole family this month and you still want a sci-fi/fantasy tale that slaps,The Hollowmight be your best bet.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy Vs. the Reverend
Available:May 12
Director:Claire Scanlon
Cast:Ellie Kemper, Daniel Radcliffe, Jane Krakowski, Carol Kane, Titus Burgess
If you’ve been missing the silly gags and loveable gang ofUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, you’ll be delighted to know there’s a new follow-up special coming your way. The latest in Netflix’s experiments with chose-your-own-adventure style storytelling (a laBlack Mirror‘s Bandersnatch),Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverendpick up with Kimmy and her oddball crew on the eve of her wedding to Frederick (the ever-delightfulDaniel Radcliffe), but just as she’s settling on the final details of her big day, she discovers evidence that there might have been another unknown girl held in the Reverend’s captivity. Whether you’re choosing Kimmy’s wedding dress or whether to make out or plan the wedding, it’s a fittingly light-hearted adventure with countless alternatives, endings, and detours along the way, which should give fans of the series plenty of incentive to dig around for easter eggs and unexpected character arcs. It’s a feel-good choose-your-own-adventure and there’s nothing not to like about that, even if it feels a more shallow and silly endeavor thanBandersnatch, that’s honestly part of its charm.
She-Ra and the Power of Princess Season 5
Available:May 15
Developed by:Noelle Stevenson
Cast:Aimee Carrero, Karen Fukuhara, AJ Michalka, Marcus Scribner, Reshma Shetty, Lorraine Toussaint, Lauren Ash, Christine Woods, Genesis Rodriguez, Vella Lovell
Noelle Stevenson’s colorful, empowering animated adventure seriesShe-Ra and the Princess of Powercomes to a close with its fifth and final season this month. But don’t worry about cliffhangers or unsolved arcs, because Stevenson and her creative team have had this ending in mind for a long time, charting their narrative over a very precise 52 episodes – which means these final 13 episodes should make for an extra-satisfying conclusion. Stevenson remains one of the most innovative and impressive up-and-coming voices in fantasy storytelling right now and if it’s sad to seeShe-Rago, it’s equally exciting to see what she’s going to do next, especially knowing we’ve still got one more season to savor before it’s all over.
White Lines
Creator:Álex Pina
Cast:Laura Haddock, Marta Milans, Juan Diego Botto, Nuno Lopes, Daniel Mays, Laurence Fox, Angela Griffin, Jade Alleyne
Money Heistfans take note, creatorÁlex Pinahas a new crime thriller series coming to Netflix. TitledWhite Lines,the series takes place in the stunning party destination Ibiza, where the body of a legendary British DJ is discovered 20 years after his disappearance and where his sister (Laura Haddock) decides to stick around and do some investigating after she identifies the body. Turns out her older bro had some eccentric (and suspicious) friends before he passed, and each uncovered stone leads her deeper into a world of drugs, deception, and lavish, decadent lifestyle. The Spanish-British co-production also hasThe Crown’s Andy Harries and Sharon Hughff onboard as producers, so ifWhite Linesproves to match the international appeal and compulsive drama of aMoney Heist/The Crowncombo, we could be in for quite the juggernaut hit here.
Somebody Feed Phil Season 3
Available:May 29
Presented by:Phil Rosenthal
Netflix is quickly becoming the home of the best feel-good food and cooking shows right now, and the always delightfulSomebody Feed Philfalls very high on the top of that list.Everybody Loves RaymondcreatorPhil Rosenthalhosts the travel food docuseries, which finds him traveling the world-over to meet new people and enjoy the local delicacies of life, from the food to the customs. Rosenthal is ever wide-eyed and in wonder of his surroundings and as a consummate fan of a good chat, his interactions with folks the world-over are like a warm and welcoming hug. And you know what? There’s never been a better time to enjoy a food and travel doc, because while it might seems strange to see people sharing space so intimately, literally breaking bread with unwashed hands, jaunting from nation to nation without a pandemic on their minds, it’s a beautiful thing to see and a great reminder of what we get to go back to when we make it through this. And fortunately, Netflix has five new episodes for us to enjoy at the end of May.
